


As Foretold (By the Stars)

by Lavendergaia



Series: Hogwarts AU Verse [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 14:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3695405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavendergaia/pseuds/Lavendergaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In his first year at Hogwarts, Leo Fitz meets a Ravenclaw girl named Jemma Simmons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Foretold (By the Stars)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohfiitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohfiitz/gifts).



> Written for my Follower Milestone Fanfic Giveaway. Thanks to Fitzsimmonsy for the beta.

Midway through his first semester at Hogwarts, there was a sudden change in Fitz’s schedule. According to Coulson, who handed out the new schedules during breakfast, the modifications were due to some overcrowding in upper level N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. classes, as well as to accommodate their flying lessons. Shoving his porridge into his mouth, Fitz tried not to grumble as he looked over the new schedule. It wasn’t actually all that different: some shuffling of their Potions and Charms classes, the official addition of Broom Riding, and now they were sharing Astronomy with the Ravenclaws.

Astronomy was the next night and he lugged his telescope up to the Astronomy Tower with the rest of the First Years. The Ravenclaws mixed with the Gryffindors for their first shared lesson with the other House, and the conversation was louder than usual. Fitz did his best to tune it out—he was here to learn, not chitter chatter.

After Professor Foster gave them their instructions for the lesson, Fitz moved his telescope to the side of the tower he had been assigned, picking the perfect spot to map Gemini and Taurus and aiming his telescope south east. Before he could even pull out his quill and parchment, he heard a high-pitched, “Excuse me!” He glanced to his left to see a tiny Ravenclaw girl carrying a telescope even larger than she was, a high-tech professional model. “Can I squeeze in here?” she said, glancing back and forth between him and another Ravenclaw.

Her housemate blatantly ignored her and as her face fell into a frustrated scowl, Fitz rolled his eyes. “Here,” he said, moving his telescope over as far as he could. “How’s that?”

She set up her telescope, pushing into the space Fitz created until the other Ravenclaw was forced to move aside as well. “Thank you,” she said, shooting Fitz a smile. He nodded to her, then got everything he needed to plot out his star chart.

Professor Foster was one of the more easy-going professors, seeming not to care about the various sidebar discussions going on as people were supposed to be doing classwork. It was a bit harder for Fitz to ignore twice the amount of people as he usually had to, but soon he had plotted his chosen constellations and left his parchment out to dry before he turned it in to the professor at the end of class.

As he lay the parchment on his bag, he looked to his left to see the Ravenclaw girl reading their Herbology book by the light at the tip of her wand. Fitz couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for her. Astronomy shouldn’t be this difficult for someone. Clearing his throat, he leaned in and said, “Um, excuse me?”

Glancing up from the textbook, she raised her eyebrows at him. Luckily, she didn’t seem all that bothered about being interrupted from her off-subject reading. “Yes?”

“Uh, I was just—do you need help?” He gestured to the Herbology book. “Because, you know, if you aren’t sure what to do—”

“I’m done,” she interrupted. He wouldn’t say her smile was patronizing, exactly, but there was certainly some amusement in her brown eyes. “But that’s sweet of you to ask.”

“You’re…you’re done?” She had finished before him? He had barely even seen her use the telescope. Maybe something that expensive did the work for you?

Nodding, she picked up her Astronomy textbook and pulled out a star chart. The lines were not necessarily as straight as his, but to his naked eye it was perfect—even the penmanship was flawless. He swallowed hard. “Oh. Well. Yeah, that’s…that’s nice.”

“If you’d like, you can check yours against it. I’m certain it’s correct,” she said and he could tell she thought she was being magnanimous.

“Yeah, well, I know mine is too,” he said, grabbing his parchment and holding them against each other. “See, they’re the exactly—”

“You mislabeled Capella,” she said quickly, pointing to the constellation next to Taurus. Flushing quickly, she said, “It’s…it’s a simple error, really, Auriga isn’t one of the more well-known constellations.”

Fitz could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment as he fixed his work. “No, it’s…yeah, thanks.” He struggled not to glower at the two parchments; no one had told him that new schedules meant classes with people who were intent on one-upping him. He was about to put his work away and go about the rest of his life when—“You missed a star in Taurus.”

The look she gave him was absolutely scandalized. “I absolutely did not.”

He pointed towards the bottom of Taurus. “The one next to Aldebaran. This line is supposed to have—”

“Three, oh my god,” she said, the words coming out in a gasp. She grabbed his quill out of his hand and plotted the star to its accurate position. She smiled sheepishly at him as she handed his quill back to him. “I guess I did need your help.”

Shrugging, he smiled down at his feet. “No, it’s fine. They look the same now. And, uh, looks right to me.”

“Same,” she said, with a final nod. Setting down her star chart, she held out her hand to him. “Jemma Simmons.”

He quickly shuffled the quill between his hands before just sticking it in his pocket with his quill so he could shake her hand. “Uh, Fitz. I mean, it’s Leo Fitz, but, Fitz, please.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, hugging her Herbology textbook to her chest. Before he could agree, she continued, “Leo, like the constellation? You know, you can see Leo Minor a little bit east, your full constellation won’t be visible over the horizon for another hour or so. Is that why you’re so good at Astronomy?”

He made a face at the repeated use of his first name. “I, no. My grandparents knew I would have to take Astronomy at Hogwarts, so when I started studying it at school, they got me my telescope early for my birthday.” She nodded, intrigued, and he added, voice full of pride, “My mum’s muggleborn.”

Jemma put her Herbology book back in her schoolbag, though didn’t seem to be paying any less attention to him. It was a first for Fitz. “I went to muggle school! My parents thought it was important for me to get formally educated before coming here. I loved it, actually, there are some people I’ve heard who hated it, which I think goes against everything that Ravenclaw stands for. I thought it was just great. If I could, I’d do both, but obviously it’s more important for me to harness and develop my talents as a witch.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Fitz let out a breath of agreement. “Yeah, that’s what my grandparents told my mum when my letter came.”

She seemed to realize there were pieces missing to his story, but was polite enough not to question it. “I do like it here though. What’s your favorite subject? I’m partial to Potions, though I wonder if I’m not inherently biased. My mum’s a healer and I’ve seen her make some incredible potions for her patients, things that save lives.”

Really, how could he respond to that? “I…I like everything so far, I guess?” That wasn’t entirely true, he didn’t like History of Magic or Herbology really. “I guess I like Charms and Transfiguration.”

Nodding intently, she said, “That makes sense. I like Transfiguration too, there’s something special about it.”

There was a shift in the air as he tried to vocalize his feelings. “It’s different than anything I’ve seen before coming here. I like that aspect of change and making something new, how to work it in your mind, you—”

“Have to think about something totally differently and follow the process with your mind and your magic, no, I completely understand!” Jemma said excitedly, her brown eyes wide, smile bright and enthusiastic.  

“Yeah.” He grinned slowly at her, laughing to himself. “Yeah, exactly.”

Jemma opened her mouth to talk again—he was starting to get used to it at this point—when they were interrupted by Professor Foster. “How are you two doing?” she asked, looking down at her pupils.

“Oh, we’ve been done for ages,” Jemma said simply, handing over her finished star chart. Fitz fumbled for his own before brandishing it to the professor, feeling like he just got caught doing something wrong.

Professor Foster raised an eyebrow at them before analyzing both of their charts with a keen eye. After a moment, she tucked both of their papers under her arm and smiled at them. “Well done, nice work, you two. I don’t want to keep you out any longer than you have to be, so you’re free to head back to your dorms. Please read chapter 7 on conjunctions and plot the positions of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus before our next class.”

As the Astronomy professor moved on to the next student, Fitz and Jemma started packing up their telescope and heading down from the tower. When they reached the first landing, Jemma said, “You know, we’ll probably have Astronomy together for the rest of the semester at least.” He could tell she was trying to be casual, but he still turned towards her, intrigued. “If you wanted to study together, I think we might both benefit. I don’t think there’s anyone in either of our Houses that knows as much as we do.”

The offer surprised him, even as a pleased ball of warmth formed in his gut. “Really? You don’t have a study group already?” He’d always imagined Ravenclaw being made of small study groups that just sort of sat around looking at books and globes and scrolls. The exact opposite of Gryffindor.

She shook her head tightly. “Oh, no. I have this table in the library where I study, a small one in the back, but it’s only ever just me. But if you wanted to join me, you’re more than welcome to.” Her smile was hesitant and it struck him how she actually thought he was going to turn her down. As if he might have a better offer or just might not want to study with her.

As if there had been a single conversation he’d enjoyed more than this since he’d gotten to Hogwarts.

“You were reading your Herbology textbook earlier,” he noted and she nodded, though her expression was quizzical. “Did Weaver give you a paper for Monday too?”

“We don’t have her class until Tuesday, but yes. I like Herbology, actually, I like digging in there and getting physical with the plants.” When he made a face, a shudder going through his body, she giggled. “Not a fan?”

“Not so much. I mean, I’m doing well in the class, but it’s not my favorite. So maybe I could come to your study table and pick your brain for the paper?”

Her face instantly brightened. “I’d like that.” Adjusting her overly large telescope on her shoulder, she said, “And you said you liked Charms, right? I’m doing just as well in Charms as any other class, but sometimes I feel like Coulson’s teaching method doesn’t always mesh with my learning style. Having someone to go over notes with could help.”

“Coulson and I have gotten on pretty well so far,” Fitz said, nodding. “But you’re right, he’s got a particular style. We Gryffindors are probably just more used to it in general. You’ll probably get used to it too.” Grinning at her, he added, “Maybe hanging out with me will help ease you into it.”

When she grinned back, he felt his cheeks go warm and his stomach swoop. “Yeah. Maybe.”

As they reached the floor where it was necessary to part to go to their separate dormitories, Jemma twisted a piece of her brown hair around her finger. “So, I’ll see you maybe tomorrow then, Fitz?”

“Tomorrow. Find you in the library after dinner?”

“Sounds perfect!” She beamed brightly at him and he didn’t realize he was smiling back just as hard until his cheeks began to hurt. “See you then!”

He watched her walk up the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower until she was out of sight, vaguely wondering if somewhere the stars were aligning.


End file.
